


Ruins

by TheWitchiestBitch



Series: SongVerse [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Sadness, and some grief, but its a background ship, etc - Freeform, logicality are married, loss of a close relationship, there's kind of a breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 13:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16854520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWitchiestBitch/pseuds/TheWitchiestBitch
Summary: The spark fades and Roman is left wondering why everything is in ruins.This piece was based on a lyric prompt sent to me by the lovely @spectralheartt on Tumblr from the song Ruins by First Aid Kit: "Ruins, all the things we built assured that they would last / Ending months ticket stubs and written notes and photographs / Where are you and here somewhere I cannot go"





	Ruins

_ “I'd follow you anywhere.” _

_ “Ugh. That's sooo cheesy, Ro.” _

_ “I mean it.” _

_ “Wait. Really?” _

_ “Yeah. I do. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than with you, Virge.” _

_ “I'd follow you too. Anywhere you wanted to go.” _

 

The memory came, and Roman found that what was once so lovely to him was now bittersweet. It was not as simple as he had thought then. The selfie taken with Virgil's instant camera caught those moments stolen in the auditorium perfectly. It had been after Roman's last high school theatre performance of senior year.  _ Into the Woods _ . Roman was still in his costume, and they had kissed, and it had been perfect. 

And now it wasn't anymore. It was tainted by the knowledge that there were some places they just couldn't follow each other. 

He put down that picture and continued to look through the shoebox. All the pieces of paper and small trinkets inside were the bricks with which they'd built a kingdom, one that was going to last forever. Ticket stubs from plays, nothing ones Roman had been in and ones they'd gone to together, from movies, and that one carnival where Roman had eaten so much he'd gotten sick, but both of them had had the time of their lives anyway. More photographs from Virgil's camera, depicting holidays and birthdays and dates and performances and Logan and Patton's wedding and the first time Roman met Virgil's mothers, when they fell in love with him instantly. Finally, Roman's favorites. The notes.

_ Ro, _

_ Good luck. Or break a leg, I guess. I know you'll get the part. Meet me in the music room after your audition? I want to show you something after my violin practice. Love you. _

_ Virg _

Virgil had taken him to the forest that bordered the local park, and to his favorite tree. It was a tree he and his best friend Patton used to climb all the time, and it was the widest and tallest, and probably oldest, around. And they had called to tell their parents they would be out late, then climbed to the highest branch they could get to and just sat together, talking, laughing, joking. After the sun had gone down, their friend Joan, who was the student assistant director for the play, texted Roman to tell him that he'd gotten the part. Virgil and Roman had shared their first kiss in celebration. Virgil had initiated it, and it had been perfect.

And now it wasn't anymore. It was tainted by the knowledge that Roman had to go, and Virgil had to stay.

Roman practically slammed the shoebox shut, blinking rapidly to avoid crying. It was then that Virgil hesitantly peeked into the room from behind the door. He was without eyeshadow, but the bags under his eyes were dark enough that one could scarcely tell, and his eyes were red and puffy, his nose just as red. 

“Hey, Virg,” Roman said softly, holding out an arm towards him. Virgil practically dove into his chest, and Roman pulled him close, burying his face in soft brown and purple hair. 

“You ready to go?” Virgil asked quietly, words muffled into Roman's shirt. 

Roman sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh before nodding, blinking even more rapidly than before. Slowly, he pulled away from Virgil, then tucked the shoebox under his arm, looking around at the now-half empty room. All his things were already packed up into Virgil's Ma's van. It looked wrong in the room. 

Virgil grabbed Roman's free hand, swiping at his eyes with his opposite sleeve. “Let's go,” he said softly before they walked out to the car. It was going to be a long drive.

-

“I could still move out too, you know,” Virgil suggested for the third time since they had made the decision for Roman to move, breaking the silence for the first time since they'd gotten into the car.

Roman's frown deepened, and he looked over at Virgil, whose grip tightened on the steering wheel. “We talked about this, Baby. You've finally got everything exactly how you want it here, with the parlor, and school, and you're close to Mom and Ma,” Roman listed off automatically.

“I could open a new tattoo parlor, and transfer to a school in New York, and I can visit my mothers as often as I can afford a plane ticket. Or they could drive up and visit us.”

Roman looked out the window, chewing on his lip. He wanted to say yes. To tell Virgil to please come back later with all his things and move into the apartment. But that would be so selfish. He would be holding Virgil back. Virgil was making progress, and that would be making him start all over again. “No,” he said softly. “You know I can't have you do that.” He fidgeted with his fingers. “We could call it all off, you know. I could just come back home.”

Virgil pulled over. His eyes were too full of tears to keep driving. “I can't hold you back. I can't  be the thing that keeps you from fulfilling your dreams,” he choked out through the tears. Roman turned to look at him, and soon found Virgil's hand against his cheek as they gave each other tearful  smiles. The rest didn't need to be spoke. Roman offered to drive, but Virgil said he could if he just had a minute. Roman drove the rest of the way anyway. 

-

Roman stared at the ceiling of the cold, empty, dark apartment, uncomfortable in the unfamiliar bed. He tried to recall the goodbye, but couldn't bring up anything but a tearful kiss. And he cried, pulling his hands up to his heart. Clutched in his left hand was the picture of him and Virgil in the auditorium. In his right was the congratulations note from his agent on his first Broadway role, which had been waiting for him when he arrived. Virgil had been so happy for him. But their hearts were both aching.

-

Roman was absolutely exhilarated as he stepped out onstage to take a bow after his first performance. His smile faltered for only a moment when a very familiar pair of eyes caught his gaze. There was a standing ovation. He didn't care.

When he looked at Virgil, the spark was gone. There was fondness, affection, love, but no more spark. 

Their kingdom was in ruins.


End file.
